Apparatus and method for teaching golf

ABSTRACT

A golf training system that comprises an apparatus and a method used in combination is disclosed. The system comprises apparatus that includes club having an elongate shaft and a head. The head has a striking surface that extends in a plane that is substantially parallel to the length of the shaft (it has no loft), the striking surface being generally circular in section and approximately 10 cm in diameter. The apparatus further includes a strike object such as a nail that comprises an elongate stalk and a head. The system further comprising a coaching method that includes placing the nail on the ground on a surface directed towards a target; and directing a learner to use the club to drive the nail in a direction towards t target along the ground.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to apparatus and method for teaching golf.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Golf is a notoriously difficult game to play and teach. There are aspects of the game and use of golf clubs that are contra-intuitive. This means that most golfers (beginners and established) don't understand how a golf club works. Also, most golfers aren't trying to learn the basic skills required to become a better more skilful golfer.

The job of a golf coach is to give their students the information they need to get better at the two statements above shortcomings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An aim of this invention is to help golfers understand how and what their task is as the golfer. It takes away the problem of having to get the ball airborne and allows the golfer to focus on developing the skills required to be a good golfer.

Therefore, for a first aspect, the invention provides golf training system comprising:

apparatus that includes:

-   -   a) a club having:     -   b) an elongate shaft;     -   c) a head, the head having a striking surface that extends in a         plane that is substantially parallel to the length of the shaft,         the striking surface being generally circular in section; and     -   d) a strike object that comprises an elongate stalk and a head,     -   e) The system further comprising a method that includes:         -   I. placing the strike object on the ground on a surface             directed towards a target; and         -   II. directing a learner to use the club to drive the strike             object in a direction towards t target along the ground.

It has been found that the action required to drive the strike object as directed can be readily understood by many people. Moreover, that action, when replicated using a golf club and a golf ball, result in proper use of the golf club.

The shaft may include a grip by which it may be more readily grasped by a person.

The striking surface is typically circular in outline and approximately 10 cm in diameter. This allows a player to see exactly which direction in which the surface is

In the method, a coach can increase or decrease the resistance felt by the player when striking the strike object by applying pressure to it with his or her foot. The coach may subsequently replace the strike object with a golf ball, to offer the player a straightforward transition from using the training apparatus to using conventional golf equipment.

After that, the club of the invention may be replaced with a conventional golf club so that the player can put their newly-learned skills into practise in playing golf.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a club being a component of apparatus of an embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 2 shows a nail being a strike object component of apparatus of an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

An embodiment of the invention will now be described in detail, by way of example, and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The aim of this embodiment is to allow a coach to convey to a player the techniques required to apply the basic skills of golf. The skills are:

-   -   to apply the clubface with precision;     -   to direct the force in the correct direction;     -   to develop a feel for how much force; and     -   to understand spin control.

The embodiment uses two pieces of apparatus. A club, shown in FIG. 1, and a nail, shown in FIG. 2.

The club comprises a head 10 and a shaft 12.

The shaft 12 resembles the shaft of a golf club. It comprises a stepped, tapered meta shank 20, upon one end portion of which is carried a rubber grip 22, and is approximately 1 m in length.

The head 10 is secured to the shaft 12 at an end region opposite the grip 22. The head comprises a generally cylindrical body 30. (The surface of the head is not exactly circular, but this is primarily for aesthetic effect and is not functional.) The body 30 has an axis that intersects at approximately 3° from a right angle with the axis of the shaft 12, close to one end of the axis of the body 30. The body 30 is formed as a two-piece plastic moulding, within which is optionally contained a mass of metal to give it weight.

The body has a circular striking face 32. The striking face 32 is an axial end face remote from the shaft 12. The striking face 32 is normal to the axis of the body 30 which means, in golfing terminology, the club has no loft. In this embodiment, the diameter of the striking face 32 is approximately 10 cm—that is to say, it is significantly larger than the height of a typical golf club. The 3° offset of the shaft, as mentioned above, ensures that a person holding the shaft is standing over the striking face, and looks vertically down onto it.

The other piece of apparatus is a nail 40. The nail is an elongate metal cylinder that has a slight taper. It may be of similar construction to a golf club shaft. The nail has a head 42 that is resistant against wear, and which is domed to provide a surface that can be struck repeatedly. As an alternative to the nail a golf club or another striking object might be used.

The instructions given by a coach to a player will now be described.

The coach places the nail on the ground and points it towards a target, with the head closest to the player. The coach may increase the resistance of the nail to movement by placing his or her foot upon it.

The impression that the coach gives to the player is that they should use the club to drive the nail towards the target. It has been found that this is a very easy analogy for golfers to understand, because it is like knocking/hitting/driving forward of a nail. To do this job properly, and become skilful at knocking a nail into an imaginary wall on a horizontal line maybe 5 cm above the ground, the club would be an ideal tool. For the person to do this job, a simple amount of information is all they would need, and the skills that they would have to develop are:

-   -   1. the ability to hit the nail with precision;     -   2. the ability to apply the force without bending the nail; and     -   3. the ability to apply different amounts of force.

It happens that these are very similar to the skills that are needed to strike a golf ball with a golf club with accuracy and precision. Therefore, once the player has practised with apparatus embodying the invention, the coach can then take away the word nail and replace it with a golf ball, whereupon the user should be able to hit the ball effectively.

A successful approach to coaching is to try to make the game easier to learn. The concepts of using apparatus embodying the invention can be easily understood, the focus for the pupil then is to learn the skills.

The way in which the apparatus embodying the invention works is very similar to how a golf club works and that's the whole point of using it as a training aid. Apply the flat face of the club embodying the invention to a golf ball and the face does its job—it hits the ball along the ground. If the apparatus is replaced with a conventional golf club, and it is swung in the same way, the angle of the face of the club to the ball does its job—that is, it hits the ball in the air.

This teaches a user that it is the club that lifts the ball into the air, and not the player's swing. The user can also understand the relationship between the direction of their swing, the angle of the striking surface, and the direction in which the club will cause an object to move. 

1. A golf training system comprising: (a) an apparatus comprising: i) a club having: A. an elongate shaft; B. a head, the head having a striking surface that extends in a plane that is substantially parallel to the length of the shaft, the striking surface being generally circular in section; ii) a strike object comprising an elongate stalk and a head, (b) and the system further comprising a method that includes: i. placing the strike object on the ground on a surface directed towards a target; and ii. directing a learner to use the club to drive the strike object in a direction towards t target along the ground.
 2. A golf training system according to claim 1 in which the elongate shaft carries a grip by which it may be more effectively held by a person.
 3. A golf training system according to claim 1 in which the striking surface is circular in outline and approximately 10 cm in diameter.
 4. A golf training system according to claim 1 in which the head is formed as one or more plastic mouldings.
 5. A golf training system according to claim 4 in which there is a body of metal incorporated into the head.
 6. A golf training system according to claim 1 in which in practising the method, a coach can increase or decrease the resistance felt by the player when striking the strike object by applying pressure to it with his or her foot.
 7. A golf training system according to claim 1 in which the strike object is subsequently replaced with a golf ball.
 8. A golf training system according to claim 7 in which the club is subsequently replaced by a conventional golf club.
 9. A golf training system according to claim 1 in which the strike object is an elongate nail.
 10. A golf training system according to claim 1 in which the strike object is a golf club. 